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Page 324
When, at last, Ian found a chance to draw breath and look at his wife, it inevitably became apparent that Alinor knew what was going on. Ian was shocked by her apparent calm. Rumors of his wife's indifference to him had already reached him via a number of thoughtful ladies who felt such a man to be wasted on so cold a wife. Considering the source, Ian had paid no attention to the hints and invitations. Nor did he now believe Alinor to be indifferent. She might not love him as she had loved Simon, but she certainly did not wish to be a widow againnot here, when she would be almost completely in John's power. Then, Ian deduced, if Alinor was calm, it was because she had some little plan working.
However, he did not see what it could be and he did not dare question Alinor, on the very slim chance that she did not understand that, as the size of the tourney increased, so did the danger. When Sir Henry rode in from Kingsclere and Sir Walter from the Forstal, he was rather relieved. No man disdains two loyal and worthy fighting men at his back. If Alinor's plan was to call in her knighted vassals and castellans to support him, Ian had no quarrel with it. When Leicester came in with four of his vassals the day before the start of the jousting closed the lists, Ian was a little annoyed. Calling up one's vassals was one thing; begging help from friends was another. He could say nothing to Leicester, of course. Had Leicester simply wished to fight, he would have signed in much earlier. For Ian to comment that Leicester had offered himself only in response to Alinor's pleas would impugn the earl's courage. Ian accepted his offer with suitable expressions of pleasure and vowed to himself to have the matter out with Alinor as soon as he saw her.
Later in the day, however, Leicester's action was put out of his mind by an even more curious event. As he was returning home for dinner, Ian was accosted by Eustace de Vesci, one of the leaders of the rebellious

 
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